Into the Eyes of Ones Soul
by Admiral T. DeVanto
Summary: Raizel always thought that humans had such colorful, beautiful eyes. But he never gave much thought about his own eyes, or how much they stood out to others.


When he awoke, there were so many different sights, smells, sounds…

...and colors.

The darkness of the coffin was chased away as the light filtered in. The world was significantly brighter to him as he awoke. He saw the blue sky, the golden shine of the sun, and the gleaming silver towers around him. He would later learn that the tall towers were called _skyscrapers._

He had walked down the street and noted the diverse styles and coloring of the clothes and people around him. He himself was wearing a different outfit: a white and blue uniform. It was different from what he usually wore, which consisted of black and white, sometimes gold patterns that the Noblesse should wear. But he liked his white suit. He liked the change of color.

But what Raizel really liked was the company of the humans. They were talkative and outgoing. They actually reached out to him without any fear or ill intentions. Just like Frankenstein, they did not want anything from him aside from his company.

He liked that.

They were all different, Shinwoo and the others. But they all got along. They laughed, talked and played, and he could tell they were all sincere just by sensing their emotions.

But their eyes told him everything he needed to know.

It used to hurt him when he would look into the eyes of his fellow Nobles. He had once thought that maybe they were his loyal friends. But sometimes, he would detect malice, fear, deception, even cold calculation. Soon, the red eyes of his fellow Nobles all bled into an unwelcome color. Red eyes that usually looked upon him in fear, judgment, sometimes mistrust. Red was nothing more than the color of judgment, the color of rage, the color of blood.

The color of his wings, his eyes.

It was the same as his blood field, his blood wings, his blood red eyes. Nothing good came from it, and he was ashamed of that color. It meant destruction, the omen of death. But it was the color that seemed to follow him wherever he went. Dark and red colors were a looming shadow in his life.

But the humans were not confined to just one color of eyes. There were multiple colors; blue, brown, green, black, and even purple. Raizel did not envy them for their uniqueness. He merely admired the different colors like one would admire a painting.

Shinwoo's blue eyes were always sparking with mischievousness. They were always bright and energetic. Blue was a fresh color, much like the clear sky, or a calm, peaceful lake. Even now, as Shinwoo approached Raizel excitedly, his eyes were alight with an inner joy just waiting to burst forth.

"Hey, Rai!" Shinwoo exclaimed joyfully. He waved a magazine around, flipping through the pages as he stopped at Raizel's desk. "Look at this article I found! It's about the different colored eyes, and what it means about your personality!"

The Noblesse stared at the article and caught the different pictures displayed. But before he could see the name of the article, Shinwoo was pulling the magazine away and reading out the results.

"It says here that people with brown eyes are creative and positive," Shinwoo read. He brightened up. "Hey! Yuna! Your eyes are brown, right? This means that you are practical."

Yuna tilted her head, and Rai glanced over to see her brown eyes widen as she listened to Shinwoo's reading.

Rai smiled softly. Yuna's eyes were indeed warm and caring. She displayed such a sweet appearance. While brown seemed to be such a simple color, Rai found the color inviting. It reminded him of the warm earth, and the nurturing side of nature.

"But brown is such a common eye color," Yuna pointed out. She seemed disappointed, as if her eye color was nothing more than a color.

Shinwoo ignored her comment, scrolling through his magazine. "It also means that people with brown eyes like to make good friends, and are determined. Like Ikhan!" he beamed as he glanced at his friend. "But people with brown eyes have a hard time expressing themselves."

Ikhan adjusted his glasses, clearing his throat. Rai tilted his head, already aware that Ikhan was about to present his own, theoretical opinion. "People with brown eyes can also be self-confident, and in tune with nature. I read a similar article like that once for fun."

Suyi scoffed. "Oh please, there are so many websites with different meanings behind eye color. Shinwoo, you can't seriously be reading that, right?"

Shinwoo didn't even look up from his magazine, but a small, slow smirk slid across his face. "It also says that people with grey eyes take love and romance very seriously." He looked up at Suyi teasingly. "Your eyes are grey, right? So that means you like the meaning of loooove."

Rai turned his attention to Suyi. He had always thought that her eyes were piercing and bright. Suyi was gentle and caring, and her eyes shone with such strength and gentleness. But she was also fierce. She reminded him of a Noble when she turned her fierce gaze on unpleasant visitors. He didn't know what exactly her eye color was, but he thought that they were more of a blue and grey.

Suyi folded her arms, her grey eyes narrowing as she grinned. "And what does it say about people with blue eyes? Something about being obnoxious?"

Shinwoo sniffed, suddenly dignified as he straightened up. "I'll have you know that we blue-eyed people are very…" here, he trailed off as he flipped through the papers. "Ha! We are smart, peaceful, and full of life!" He placed his hands on his hips, smug. "There, I am full of life!"

Ikhan sighed. "And what brought this topic up, Shinwoo?"

Shinwoo blinked, looking momentarily confused. He than beamed. "Right! I was looking up what happens when you have red eyes because of Rai, and I stumbled upon this article."

Yuna blinked. "You're right. I've never known anyone to have red eyes." She smiled at Rai. "You must be special than!"

"Maybe his eyes are just a really dark brown," Ikhan stated, leaning forward as he observed the Noblesse. "Hey, Rai, what color are your eyes?"

Raizel kept his gaze on his desk in front of him. He let out a deep breath before looking up at the children who were watching him expectantly. "Red," he answered.

The kids gasped. "Seriously? That's cool!" Shinwoo exclaimed.

'Cool' was not what Raizel would have used to describe his eye color. Red eyes were so common to him, that he did not give his eye color much thought. But to the humans, yes, red eyes might seem a bit abnormal.

"But I've never heard of a red eye color," Suyi said. "And Rai is not an albino, which might have explained the color." She cocked her head. "Is it a genetic thing?"

Raizel paused. He hadn't even thought of his family in years, and it was quite a shock to remember them. Thousands of years had passed when they had been alive. So while he knew the answer to Suyi's question, he still had to reflect on his response. Finally, Raizel nodded. "Yes. It runs in my family."

"Really?" Yuna asked, inching closer, her brown eyes gleaming with interest. It occurred to the children that Rai never talked about his family, until now. "Who in your family has red eyes?"

"My father, my mother," he answered. "And my brother. We all had red eyes."

While the color red for eyes never happened to humans, it was always common for Nobles. In a sense, Rai felt that the humans were special with their different shaddings of eye color. They were not just confined to one color. Even if brown was the most common, there were different shades of brown.

Red meant blood. Red meant death. Red meant that Raizel, the Noblesse, was there to bring judgment to those who were to be punished for breaking the law. It meant that the Noblesse was the harbinger of death itself. His wings, his power, and even his eyes were a sign of that terrifying power.

He could sense the rising questions in the children as they prepared to bombarded him with more questions, but Raizel did not wish to dwell on the unpleasant past. His unpleasant past.

He looked up at Shinwoo. "Can I have the name of that article?" he asked.

Shinwoo blinked, caught off guard for a moment. "Oh, sure! You can have it actually." He passed Raizel the magazine, though his blue-eyed gaze was thoughtful. The children mercifully did not ask Raizel anymore questions about his family, which the Noblesse was grateful for.

* * *

In the comforts of his home, Raizel slowly read the article that Shinwoo had given him. Contrary to what Suyi had said, he found it fascinating that humans identified different colored eyes with certain personalities and traits.

Raizel looked up as Takeo walked by. The sniper sat down on the couch across from Raizel, letting out a content sigh as he opened his book to read. Raizel tilted his head as he watched Takeo's eyes flicker over the book he was reading with mild interest.

Rai glanced once more at the article. Blue eyes were a sign of someone who was bright and full of life. They had the desire to provide, and the relationships that they had were long-lasting and meaningful.

Raizel smiled softly at the thought of the relationships Takeo had with the people around him. Though he was not as outspoken as Tao, people were drawn to Takeo. While Raizel doubted that his interactions with others had anything to do with his unique eye color, it certainly helped Raizel with identifying most of Takeo's characteristics.

He chanced a look at Takeo once more. His blue eye color was not deep, but more of a soft color. But Takeo's blue eyes were soft and caring. He saw how the sniper cared for the children, and how much he went out of his way to protect them. His actions were sincere, and he always pulled through.

Raizel closed his eyes, setting the article down. Humans possessed such an inner beauty, and it was a beauty that they rarely saw in themselves.

Raizel's thoughts soon took him to M21. The modified human's eyes were always heavy with sadness, but he buried that sadness deep within. But Raizel could detect the hurt and anguish residing in him. People with grey eyes were leaders and strong in character. Though M21 stalked in the shadows and left others to do the leading, he was certainly strong.

But there was a certain warmth to M21's eyes whenever he gazed upon his companions, his new family. His expression was tender, and there was a deep yearning to preserve and protect what he had. Such expressions were reflected in his grey eyes.

Raizel felt the familiar presence of his bonded before Frankenstein had even spoken. He opened his eyes once more to look up at the blonde human. "Master, dinner is ready." Frankenstein's gaze was soft, and he was smiling at something that amused him. Through the bond, Raizel could tell that Frankenstein was at peace and in his element.

Blue eyes. That had been the first, different color that had stood out to Raizel. Before he had ever met Frankenstein, Raizel had seen other humans before, but Frankenstein had always stood out to him. When they had first met, those blue eyes had been hard and calculating. He was fighting for survival, fighting against the very dark presence that was wrapped up in his soul. He was a desperate man that was fighting a losing battle. But over the years, as he had stayed with the Noblesse, his eyes had become less guarded, especially around Raizel.

Kindness was an expression Frankenstein only showed to his companions, and his Master. It was the first true, genuine kindness Raizel had ever experienced from another living being. But Frankenstein also possessed an inherent desire to serve and make Raizel happy. He had expressed his desire before to protect and serve Raizel, and through the years, their bond had been strengthened.

It had been difficult at first, as the Dark Spear tried to overpower everything it touched, but Raizel was able to detect what emotions and feelings were Frankenstein and Frankenstein's alone.

All of this occurred to him on a brief span of time, but it left him with much to think about. Raizel stood up with a small nod, making his way towards the kitchen. As he moved past Frankenstein, he couldn't help but think that blue was a nice and bright color. Much better than red.

Frankenstein watched as the Noblesse made his way towards the kitchen. He had sensed his Master's deep thoughts, but he had not asked what his Master was dwelling on. The Noblesse would tell him when and if he wanted to.

Frankenstein's gaze was drawn to the magazine that had been placed on the coffee table, and he cocked his head as he caught a glimpse of the article's title. He could only smile in faint amusement as he wondered if the children had given his Master some light reading.

At the kitchen table, Raizel immersed himself in the conversations taking place around him. Tao's excited chatter caused Raizel to focus his attention on the hacker. Now there was someone whom he could easily identify based on their eye color. Tao may claim to have trouble understanding people, but here in this household, he fit right in. Raizel had thought it odd at first that Tao had come into their household with bright blue eyes, but Frankenstein had briefly mentioned that Tao used to wear contacts that changed his eye color.

Raizel did not see the point in Tao changing his eye color. He thought that Tao's bright, dark brown eyes were what made him special. At a quick glance, Tao's eyes could be mistaken for black. The article had stated that people with black eyes, or really dark brown eyes, were secretive and not so open with others.

Raizel recalled Suyi's words, and he had to admit that there was some fault in the article's reasoning. Tao was the opposite of secretive. But then again, Tao always put the needs of others above his own. He never once voiced about caring for himself.

Secretive about himself, maybe. Withdrawn and uneasy with others? Not so much.

As Tao's brown eyes gleamed with amusement, Raizel also noted that brown, while bland to some humans, was a nice eye color as well. There was always a different color, a different shading. Blue eyes were darker than others, as were brown and green eyes. They were all unique and stood apart from everyone else.

* * *

The household was quiet once more. Everyone was off doing their own thing as the night darkened. Raizel stayed on the couch, sipping his tea. Frankenstein approached him, sitting right across from his Master with his own cup.

Raizel closed his eyes, breathing in the scent of the herbal brew. He was often left to dwell in his thoughts alone, but in the silence, one question remained glaringly obvious to him, but he was hesitant to ask.

"Frankenstein," Raizel said suddenly. "They often say that the eyes are the windows to a man's soul."

Raizel watched as Frankenstein's eyes narrowed in concentration as he mulled over that saying. He paused for a moment before slowly nodding. "Yes, Master. I often find that it is important to look someone in the eye to judge them by their character. Though just looking at someones eye is not enough to know someone, it does help." He tilted his head. "Why?"

Raizel sipped his tea once more, wondering how he should phrase his next question. "When you looked into my eyes, what did you see?"

Frankenstein went still, but Raizel watched him expectantly. He had been able to make deductions on the people around him, but he wondered what the others deduced about him.

"When we first met," Frankenstein began, "I saw curiosity, but I think it was because you were not expecting a human to break into your home."

Raizel's mouth twitched in faint amusement. No, he hadn't been expecting _anyone_ to break into his home.

"But," Frankenstein continued. "You were hard for me to read when we first encountered each other. But the longer I stayed, I was able to read you not just by your expressions, but from the burden you carried in your eyes." Frankenstein looked at Raizel, and for once, the Noblesse could not read his servant's expressions either.

"I saw sadness," Frankenstein said. "You took such great joy in the little things that happened in life. You spent so much time gazing out the window, staring at the small scenery, that you were willing to accept what you had been sentenced to. You were willing to lock yourself away, just to appease the majority of everyone else." Frankenstein took in a deep breath. "You were lonely."

"Do you want to know what I saw when I first met you?" Frankenstein asked suddenly. "A majestic being. You were the strongest of all the Nobles, yet you were limited. As I served you, you were not just a great being, but a majestic prisoner. You were chained, but you were also willing. You never blamed others, and you enjoyed what pleasures you had. You are self-sacrificial, and tender when dealing with those weaker than you."

Raizel cocked his head. A part of him had been worried about asking Frankenstein such a question, but his curiosity only grew. "And now?"

Frankenstein smiled. "Now, you are...happy. At least, I think you are." He shook his head. "No, I hope you are happy. You changed, as if this very environment has shaped you. You are outgoing, and your red eyes burn with a passion to learn and become involved in the very outside world that had escaped you for so long. Now, your eyes glow with a different light that I haven't seen in a long time and it is a positive change. You think your red eyes are common? I say otherwise."

Raizel blinked, taken aback. How had he known…?

"Master," Frankenstein chided lightly, amusement flowing through the bond. "I've known you for close to a thousand years. Don't think I didn't pick up on that train of thought sooner."

Raizel glanced away, sheepish. But he was also amused that Frankenstein had been able to detect his thoughts so easily.

Frankenstein grinned. "Your eyes are unique to you and only you. Your emotions are carried within, but your eyes are the window to your soul that very few can look into. Your eyes are still filled with guilt, but there is happiness there too."

Nothing more was said. They just sat there in silence. So many people had said he had changed. Had he changed for the better? Was it because of the lifestyle he was now given?

Finally, Raizel let out a deep breath, and turned to look back at Frankenstein. His red eyes were shining with gratitude, and he poured out his overwhelming gratitude through the bond. "Frankenstein, I am happy here."

Frankenstein smiled. "That is all I ever wanted for you."

"I am," Raizel said softly. "I am very happy."

* * *

 **A/N: I can't believe I just wrote a story about colorful eyes.**


End file.
